Punctuation

Douglas Perret Starr

Professor

Texas A&M University

• In typing scholarly journal articles, you are not a typist; you are a typesetter.

• Follow the rules for typesetting.

• Use your Keyboard Commands as appropriate.

• One space after periods, other end marks.

• No underline.

• The em-dash—never two hyphens (--)—for the dash.

• The en-dash joins numerals, nouns of equal weight.

• Em-dash … En-dash … Hyphen

• Note the difference in width.

• ― em-dash

• – en-dash

• - hyphen

• (Em-) Dash ( ― )• The Dash punctuation mark is an em-dash, the

width of the capital M. Indicates a break in the thought of the sentence.

• It cannot be formed by typing two hyphens. No space before or after the Dash.– I’m going to move to College Station—you can

live in my house in El Paso—and study at Texas A&M University.

• En-Dash ( – )

• Use the Keyboard Command to form the en-dash, the width of the capital N. No space on either side.

• Joins numerals and nouns of equal weight.

• 7–6 . . . $100–$200

• Bryan–College Station

• Mrs. Carolyn Scanlon–McLendon

• En-Dash (– )

• The en-dash substitutes for to in some instances, as in “the vote was 7–6,” but not when from is used.

• The trial lasted “from 7 to 10 days,” not “from 7–10 days.”

• Hyphen ( - )

• Joins words . . . Clarifies words . . . Partitions words.

• Joins adjectives preceding noun: 10-year-old study.

• Clarifies verbs: re-lease . . . release

• Partitions at end of line of type: Uni-

versity

• Suspensive Hyphenation

• Use in compounds.

• First- and second-place winners

• First-, second-, and third-grade pupils

• 12- to 18-month subscriptions

• Ellipsis ( . . . )• Three spaced periods with a space at each end.

Do not use Keyboard Command.• Indicates where words are omitted from

quotations. At sentence-end, ellipsis follows sentence-end mark.

• “. . . [A]sk not what your country can do for you. . . .”

• Apostrophe ( ’ )• Indicates omission of letter or number,

possession, plural of single letter, numeral. It’s a close quotation mark. No apostrophe in any pronoun, except ’tis, ’twas, ’twere.

• Two A’s, two DC-2’s, John Jones’ house, • the Joneses’ house, Mary’s book, Chris’

book, or Dr. Briers’s book• No contractions in scholarly writing.

• Quotation Marks ( “ ” ‘ ’ )• Indicates what a person said, wrote. Always

use in pairs.• Double quotation marks for written or spoken

matter of fewer than 40 words, titles of chapters, articles, songs, etc, but only in text.

• Single quotation marks for quote within quote.• In a letter, he wrote, “I like what you said

about ‘realizing your artistry.’”

• Quotation Marks ( “ ” ‘ ’ )

• All periods, all commas go inside (to the left of) all close quotation marks.

• I have read “Roots.”

• I bought “Roots,” but I have not read it.

• All colons, semicolons go outside (to the right of) all close quotation marks.

• She described “the work”: “stellar”; a valuable contribution, . . .”; “well-positioned. . . .”

• Quotation Marks ( “ ” ‘ ’ )

• Question marks go inside (to the left of) or outside (to the right of) close quotation marks, as appropriate.

• Have you read “Roots”?

• He asked, “Have you read ‘Roots’?”

• Quotation Marks ( “ ” ‘ ’ )

• Avoid putting quotation marks around one or two words; it negates the meaning.

• He said that he “never” drank whisky.

• The sheriff said that two “women” were arrested.

• Parentheses ( () )• Always used in pairs. Sets off clarifying information,

references, reference years, reference pages, list numbers or letters.

• (See Figure 4.)• (Gillum & Sparks, 2000)• Rodriguez (2002)• (pp. 34-35)• Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT)• (1) xxx; (2) xxx; (3) xxx. . . . No period after number.• (a) xxx; (b) xxx; (c) xxx. . . . No period after letter.

• Period ( . )

• Indicates end of complete sentence, used with initials and abbreviations.

• Initials require a space: D. P. Starr

• Abbreviations do not require space:

• U.S., U.N.

• p., pp., Rev. Ed., Vol., No., et al.

• Comma ( , )• Separates thought units connected by conjunction

(and, but, etc.), separates listed items, sets off nonessential information.

• He wrote several books and plays, and he acted in two plays.

• Not: He wrote several books, plays, and acted in two plays.

• Hundreds of people (men, women, and children) attended.

• The lawnmower, which is broken, is in the garage.

• Comma ( , )

• Sets off years in dates, states from cities, units in numbers.

• He was born July 3, 1878, and died November 5, 1942, in Dallas, Texas.

• He was born in Dallas, Texas, and worked in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, most of his life.

• Semicolon ( ; )• Separates thought units not joined by a conjunction

(and, but, etc.), separates items in series that contain commas.

• Respondents were from Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; and College Station, Texas.

• Several studies (Rutherford, 2003; Starr, 2000; Wingenbach & Briers, 2004). . . . Same alphabetical order as in Bibliography.

• Colon ( : )

• Introduces a list.

• She lived in four cities: New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, and San Antonio.

• No colon after “to-be” verbs.

• Colon ( : )

• Introduces a list.

• She lived in four cities: New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, and San Antonio.

• Accent Marks• Place over a letter as an aid in

pronunciation.• Use Keyboard Command to form accent

marks.• résumé, ça va sans dire, cañon, à la carte,

raison d’être, fiancé, fiancée, Hüber, René, Renée (note accent mark on penultimate “e.”

• Other punctuation• Use Keyboard Commands• Spanish question mark: ¿• Spanish exclamation point: ¡• Copyright: ©• Trademark: ™• Registered: ®

• Jr. . . . Sr. . . . II . . . III

• It is the first name―not the last name―that carries the designation. The correct listing:

• Smith, Bobby Joe, Jr.

• Not

• Smith, Jr., Bobby Joe

• Books on Punctuation• Grammar book• Collegiate dictionary; contains grammar rules• APA Publication Manual• Media Writer’s Handbook: A Guide to

Common Writing and Editing problems, by George T. Arnold.

• Gregg’s Reference Manual

• Questions on Punctuation?